How to Optimize eCommerce Checkout Process to Surge Sales

Surprising it may sound but the average cart abandonment rate in 2017 was around 67%. And worse, most customers abandoned the carts just before the checkout page! So what are the reasons why customers leave their cart at the last minute? Most times, it’s because of the poor checkout experience, such as slow load times, useless information, and limited payment options. As per the Baymard Institute, some of the main reasons why customers abandon their carts include unexpected costs (60%), account creation (37%), and a difficult checkout process (28%).

These are the different strategies that you can implement to optimize checkout process of your online stores for better conversions:

Streamline the process of checkout

If you streamline the checkout process, you can significantly reduce the risk of cart abandonment. Try keeping the checkout to a single page and have few steps. According to Harshal Shah, Lead UX Designer at DotcomWeavers, “steps equal friction and friction equals abandoned carts. Ruthlessly eliminate the number of steps it takes for customers to complete a purchase.”

Ask for necessary information in an order that the customer is comfortable to provide, like name and shipping address. If possible, try to integrate Google Maps API as this provides predictive address lookup feature. Also, there should be an option so that customers can mark their billing address as same as their shipping address.

If there is an option to enter a coupon code or gift card, provide them with a space to do so. If customers see a price drop, they will feel better to buy. Lastly, ask for the payment information. Provide a range of payment options and complete the order process.

Reward customers who make new registrations

While most eCommerce sites would want new customers to register, let’s admit that creation of an account is personal and a matter of choice. If the customer is not interested to register, let him/her checkout as a guest. This helps prevent abandoned carts.

Another good option is to offer customers to log in with their social media credentials. This enables the customer to register with a single click with a Facebook or Google account without manual information.

In some eCommerce sites, customers can create an account during the first checkout. This also cuts their effort and adds to their satisfaction. An added fillip is to provide some kind of registration promotion to new customers like a discount and so on.

Stress on the security aspect

Put immense stress on the security and make sure your site is fully secured. Try having an SSL certificate and make customers aware of it know it. Moreover, list all your privacy policies clearly in the terms and conditions page.

Record or store customer information/details

Have an option so that the customer is able to store the account information for future use. If they have to fill less information during future purchases, they will be comfortable buying stuff more. If they don’t have to enter their shipping or billing information, it will just become a 1-click process.

Have option for multiple payment channels

One of the important ways to induce customer satisfaction and reduce cart abandonment is to have multiple payment options. Other than standard credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express), other payment options too should be included. Some popular ones are PayPal, Google Wallet, and so on.

Provide customers with a mobile experience

Around 33% of all eCommerce transactions take place on mobiles and tablets. However, it has been found out that around 88% of mobile shoppers have not been satisfied with their mobile experience.

Try having an advanced mobile platform that enables customers order through mobile devices. It will definitely add to your sales.

Try to aid customers to solve errors

It’s quite natural to make mistakes during the order or account creation process. Try to have a feature that helps customers to reduce orders and limit their occurrences. For example, if a customer does an error during checkout, the error message should be specific and not generic. This helps customer awareness and satisfaction.

In short, here is the checklist for eCommerce checkout process optimization:

Decrease the steps required for checkout

Have a secured site

Include the option of address lookup and other predictive entry features